Mayor Randall Woodfin and Edward T. Bowser discuss Woodfin’s debut memoir at the Birmingham Public Library. (Marika N. Johnson Photo/For The Birmingham Times)
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By Kavolshaia Howze | For The Birmingham Times
When Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin needed help putting his memoir from pen to paper, he reached out to veteran journalist, speechwriter and city Deputy Director of Communications Edward T. Bowser.
“When he decided, way, way back in 2022 [to write the book the mayor] was like, ‘You’re the guy who’s already working with me. You have my voice. It’s only right for you to tell the story’.”
Bowser was the right person not only because the duo have been working alongside each other since 2018 when Bowser first joined the mayor’s team, but also because of their friendship that began after Bowser moved from Virginia to Birmingham in 2009.
“I had known him in my early years moving to Birmingham and he was one of my early connections, and when he I saw him go through the school board and watched his journey. So, there was a friendship there,” Bowser said.
Woodfin previously served as president of the Birmingham City School Board from 2013–2015.
On Friday, Bowser’s wife, See Jane Write Founder Javacia Harris Bowser, hosted a conversation at the Birmingham Public Library‘s Central location, 2100 Park Place, with Woodfin and Edward Bowser about Woodfin’s debut memoir.
Even though Edward was willing to help write the memoir, the assistance came with one condition, he said. “The one caveat that I had — and I was adamant about this — is I wanted to make sure that [he] just authentically tells his story. I didn’t want this to be a political book. I didn’t want us to push any agenda. I just want it to be I want the reader to read it and feel like they’re having a one-on-one conversation with Randall, with the man.”
From there, Edward tapped into the skills from his decades-long career, writing for multiple news outlets including AL.com, several advertising agencies and his own pop culture/hip-hop news blog SoulInStereo.com, to make the “Son of Birmingham” a reality. Edward and Woodfin sacrificed early mornings, late nights and weekends outside of city business hours to mold Woodfin’s voice.
As the speechwriter and political leader met over words, they also strengthen their bond through the culture and music that shaped both of their lives through groups like Outkast, the Atlanta, Georgia-based hip-hop duo featuring Antwan “Big Boi” Patton and André “André 3000” Benjamin. All 14 chapters of the book are titled after singles by the Grammy Award–winning group.
“We might make a random reference to an Outkast song. He might throw out an 80’s movie quote in a speech,” Edward said. “[The mayor] does have a great love for hip-hop and movies, and that shaped the way he approaches just life in itself, whether it’s healing, whether its lessons learned in the music, those were all big parts of who he is, and that made him the leader that he is today.”
The seasoned journalist admits that although the memoir only took five months of actual writing time from November 2022 to the spring of 2024, the entire book development stretched out nearly two years as the mayor of Birmingham picked up new titles in his life — as a husband, stepfather and father — which led to new chapters in the memoir.
Even though the book centers around one “Son of Birmingham”, Edward wants people to know that the book it’s about all of the sons and daughters of the Magic City especially within the Black communities of Birmingham and how they can pull strengths and lessons from Woodfin’s experiences navigating the city through the disappearance and death of Camille “Cupcake” McKinney” in 2019 and the civil unrest during the 2020 George Floyd protests.
“I want a 15-year-old who works at the grocery store, as [Woodfin] did, to pick up this book and see themselves in his story and be like, ‘Man, I can be the mayor of my city too’, because this is the journey that he went through.”
“This book is a representation and just reminding people that leadership, you can be who you are and still be a leader,” said Edward.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin’s memoir “Son of Birmingham” was released on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. The 288-page book is available at sonofbirmingham.com.
